Sectional outlet box



W- MAIER SECTIONAL OUTLET BOX April 10, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 13, 1959 hum/122x:

United States Patent 'Ofiice 3,028,990 SECTIONAL OUTLET BOX William Maier, 125 Lawlor Terrace, Stu-attord, Conn. Filed Mar. 13, 1959. Ser. No. 799,297 7 Claims. (Cl. 220-.-3.94)

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in electrical boxes such as outlet boxes, junction boxes, switch boxes, fuse boxes, et cetera, which have a marginal wall provided with one or more adapters or sockets for connection of electrical conduits or cables thereto.

Conventional boxes of this type are usually formed from one piece of metal and have their marginal wall provided with knock-out plugs for formation of a given number of conduit receiving openings, or alternatively, a given number of conduit receiving adapters or sockets are provided on their marginal walls. In either instance, the size, number and location of the openings or sockets is predetermined and fixed for each particular box, whereby it is necessary to provide a very large variety of boxes for the very large variety of requirements which are encountered in different types of installations. Although some conventional boxes are equipped with a removable side wall to facilitate grouping of two or more such boxes together, the aforementioned condition of the fixed size, number and location of the openings or sockets also exists therein.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of this invention to provide an electrical box which is composed of a pinrality of sections with means for separably securing such sections together, the individual sections being equipped with a variety of conduit receiving sockets and being selectively usable so that by employing sections with sockets of the required size, number and location, a box may be assembled to suit any particular need. Thus, the necessity of maintaining a large stock of different boxes is eliminated simply by the provision of a relatively small variety of different sections which may be assembled as required.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of novel means for separably locking together the box sections, while another important feature resides in the adaptability of the invention for use in boxes of various sizes and shapes.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity of construction, in the ease of assembly of the box sections, and in the adaptability of the invention to expeditious and economical manufacture.

With the foregoing more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of an electrical box in accordance with the invention, showing one embodiment thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the same;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing one section of the box;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail on an enlarged scale, taken substantially in the plane of the line 4-4 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of one of the section locking keepers on an enlarged scale;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary elevational view, on an enlarged scale, showing the keeper receiving groove in one of the box sections;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional detail on an enlarged scale, taken substantially in the plane of the line 7--7 in FIGURE 1;

Patented Apr. 10, 1962 FIGURE 8 is a plan view of a modified embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary sectional detail on an enlarged scale, taken substantially in the plane of the line 99 in FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary sectional detail on an enlarged scale, taken substantially in the plane of the line 1fi--10 in FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 11 is a plan view of another modified embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlargod scale, showing a modified form of locking means such as may be used in the embodiments of FIGURES l, 8 and 11;

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 13-13 in FIGURE 12; and

FIGURE 14 is a plan view on a reduced scale, showing another form of the box.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, particularly to FIGURES l7 inclusive, the sectional electrical box in accordance with the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 15. As exemplified, the box is rectangular in form, having a foursided marginal wall 16 and a rectangular bottom 17. The box consists of four sections 18, each comprising, as is best shown in FIGURE 3, a marginal wall portion or quarter 19 which is coextensive with one side of the foursided marginal wall 16, and a triangular bottom portion or quarter 20 which includes a pair of convergent side edges 21 and an outer edge 22 which is integral with the wall portion 19.

The marginal wall portion 19 is provided with stiffen: ing ribs 23, 23 as illustrated and is also equipped with inwardly projecting, screw-threaded lugs 25 adjacent one end of its upper edge, for the reception of screws whereby a suitable cover, fixture, or the like, (not shown) may be secured to the assembled box.

The several sections 18 of the box are held in assembled relation by a set of channel-shaped keepers 26 which, as is best shown in FIGURE 4 and 5, include a flat wall portion 27 and a pair of convergent side flanges 28. The latter are slidably received and frictionally held in vertical grooves 29 formed in the end portions of adjacent wall portions 19 at the outside of the box, so that the keepers 26, being disposed at the four corners of the box, securely hold the sections 18 together. The corner edges oi the wall portions 19 are bevelled as shown at 30, so that the wall portions 27 of the keepers fit flush against the same.

Means are provided for maintaining the bottom por: tions 20 of the sections in coplanar relation, these means consisting of crescent-shaped detents 3-1 which are integral with and project from the edges 21 of the bottom portions 20 and are substantially one-half the thickness thereof. The edges 21 are also provided with crescentshaped recesses 32 which are half as deep as their thickness, the detents and recesses being coordinatedin location so that the detents of one section fit into the recesses of the adjacent section upon assembly of the box.

Referring again to the keepers 26, it will be noted that the wall portion 27 of each keeper may be formed with one or more transversely extending stiffening ribs 33 in order to prevent the wall portion from flexing or bend? ing along its longitudinal dimension, thus preventing the bottom edges 21 of the sections from spreading apart. As a result, when the sections are assembled, the keepers 26 and the interfitting detents and recesses 31, 32 as.- sure complete rigidity of the box.

The marginal wall portions 19 of the sections 18 may be provided with suitable adapters or sockets 34 for the reception of electrical conduits or cables as indicated at 35, the sockets having screw-threaded apertures 36 for set screws whereby the conduits or cables may be anchored therein and also having openings 37 through the wall portions 19 for extending wires from the conduits or cables into the box. While some of the sections 13 need not have any such sockets at all, others may be provided with a single socket and still others with a group of two or three sockets (FIGS. 8 and 11). Some of these may have their openings 37 of the same diameter, while others may have openings of dilferent sizes in the same group. Thus, by using in a selective manner sections having the appropriate sockets thereon, a box may be assembled to suit any particular installation, as will be readily apparent.

As will be noted, the bottom portions of the sections 18 are provided with suitable apertures 38 whereby the assembled box may be secured to supporting structure with nails or screws.

Referring now to the accompanying FIGURES 8-10 inclusive which Show a modified form of the invention designated generally by the numeral 40, the box is also of a rectangular, four-sided wall form as the box 15, consisting of four sections 41 each having a marginal Wall portion 42 which is coextensive with one side of the box and also having a rectangular bottom portion 43 in place of the triangular bottom portion 20 of the box 10. The bottom portion 43 of each section has a pair of inner side edges 44, one outer side edge 45 which is integral with the marginal wall portion 42 as shown in FIG- URE 9, and another outer side edge 46 which is con tiguous with the marginal wall portion 42 of the adjacent section, and is separably connected thereto by a tongue and groove joint, as shown in FIGURE 10. The inner side edges 44 of the bottom portions 43 are hcid in coplanar relation by the interfitting detents 31 and recesses 32, already described.

FIGURES 12 and 13 illustrate a modified embodiment of the connecting means for the box sections, such as may be used in place of the keepers 26 and grooves 29. In this embodiment the marginal wall portions 19 are provided adjacent their ends with sets of inwardly projecting lugs or ears 50 which have aligned apertures 51 formed therein to receive a keeper pin 52, as will be clearly apparent. This form of connecting means may be used either in the box 15 or in the box 40, as well as in the box 60 hereinafter described. The lugs 50 are disposed in the corners of the box and the apertures 51 therein are in register with the screw-threaded apertures in the aforementioned lugs to facilitate insertion of the pins 52 into the apertures 51.

The box 55 shown in FIGURE 11 is substantially the same as the box 15, with exception that it is circular rather than rectangular in shape. As such, the marginal wall portions 56 of the sections 57 of the box 55 are arcuate and the bottom portions 58 thereof are triangular. The sections 57 are connected together by pins 52a and apertured lugs 50a provided at the adjacent ends of the wall portions 56, in a manner similar to that illustrated in FIGURE 13. Alternatively, if desired, keepers similar to the keepers 26 may be employed, with arcuate wall portions in place of the fiat wall portions 27, so as to fit the curvature of the box.

FIGURE 14 diagrammatically illustrates an elongated rectangular box 60 comprising four sections arranged in opposing pairs 61, 62 of a ditferent length, whereby the bottom portions 63 of the sections 61 are triangular but the bottom portions 64 of the sections 62 are trapezoidal in form. The sections 61, 62 may be held assembled either by the keepers 26 or by the keeper means 50, 52, as desired, it being noted that all features of the boxes 40, 55 and 60, such as the sockets 34, apertures 38 and lugs 25 as well as the detents 31 are the same as previously described in connection with the box 15.

While in the foregoing there have been shown and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, various modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure and various modifications may be resorted to, such as may lie within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A sectional electrical outlet box of a substantially circular configuration having an annular marginal wall and a circular bottom, said box comprising four complemental selectively usable sections each including an arcuate marginal wall quarter and a substantially triangular bottom quarter having a pair of convergent side edges and an outer edge integral with the marginal wall quarter, said marginal wall quarters of said sections having contiguous side edges in edge to edge abutment without overlap, said bottom quarters of the sections being coplanar and having their convergent side edges in contiguous edge to edge abutment, means provided at said convergent side edges of the bottom quarters for maintaining the same in coplanar relation, and means provided adjacent the contiguous side edges of the marginal wall quarters for separably securing said sections together.

2. A sectional electrical outlet box having a marginal wall and a bottom, said box comprising a plurality of complemental selectively usable sections each including a marginal wall portion and a bottom portion, the marginal wall portions having contiguous side edges in edge to edge abutment without overlap, the bottom portions of said sections being coplanar and having contiguous side edges in edge to edge abutment, means provided at the contiguous side edges of said bottom portions for maintaining the same in coplanar relation, comprising laterally projecting detents provided at the edges of each bottom section, said contiguous side edges being formed with complementary recesses receiving said projecting detents of the adjacent bottom sections, each recess and detent being thinner than the bottom sections and being disposed within the thickness of the latter, and means provided adjacent the contiguous side edges of said marginal wall portions for separably securing said sections together.

3. A sectional electrical outlet box having a marginal wall and a bottom, said box comprising four complemental selectively usable sections each including a marginal wall quarter and a bottom quarter, the marginal wall quarters having contiguous side edges in edge to edge abutment without overlap, the bottom quarters of said sections being coplanar and having contiguous side edges in edge to edge abutment, means provided at the contiguous side edges of said bottom quarters for maintaining the same in coplanar relation, and means provided adjacent the contiguous side edges of said marginal wall quarters for separably securing said sections together, said last mentioned means comprising inwardly projecting lugs provided on the side edge portions of said marginal wall quarters, the lugs of each quarter overlapping the lugs of the adjacent quarters in a direction depthwise of the box, the overlapped lugs being provided with coaxial apertures having their axes coplanar with the side edges of the sections, and removable keeper pins positioned in the coaxial apertures of the overlapped lugs.

4. A sectional electrical outlet box having a marginal wall and a bottom, said box comprising a plurality of complemental selectively usable sections each including a marginal wall portion and a bottom portion, the marginal wall portions having contiguous side edges in edge to edge abutment without overlap, the bottom portions of said sections being coplanar and having contiguous side edges in edge to edge abutment, means provided at the contiguous side edges of said bottom portions for maintaining the same in coplanar relation, and means provided adjacent the contiguous side edges of said marginal wall portions for separably securing said sections together, said last mentioned means comprising inwardly projecting lugs provided on the side edge portions of said marginal wall portions, the lugs of each marginal wall portion overlapping the lugs of the adjacent marginal wall portions in a direction depthwise of the box, the overlapped lugs being provided with coaxial apertures having their axes coplanar with the side edges of the sections, and removable keeper pins positioned in the coaxial apertures of the overlapped lugs.

5. A sectional electrical outlet box of a substantially circular configuration having an annular marginal wall and a circular bottom, said box comprising four complemental selectively usable sections each including an arcuate marginal wall quarter and a substantially triangular bottom quarter having a pair of convergent side edges and an outer edge integral with the marginal wall quarter, said marginal wall quarters of said sections having contiguous side edges in edge to edge abutment without overlap, said bottom quarters of the sections being coplanar and having their convergent side edges in contiguous edge to edge abutment, means provided at said convergent side edges of the bottom quarters for maintaining the same in coplanar relation, and means provided adjacent the contiguous side edges of the marginal Wall quarters for separably securing said sections together, said first mentioned means comprising laterally projecting detents provided at the convergent side edges of each bottom quarter, said convergent side edges of each bottom quarter being provided with complemental recesses receiving said projecting detents of the adjacent bottom quarters, each recess and the detent therein being thinner than the bottom quarters and disposed within the thickness of the latter.

6. A sectional electrical outlet box of a substantially circular configuration having an annular marginal wall and a circular bottom, said box comprising four complemental selectively usable sections each including an armate marginal Wall quarter and a substantially triangular bottom quarter having a pair of convergent side edges and an outer edge integral with the marginal wall quarter, said marginal wall quarters of said sections having contiguous side edges in edge to edge abutment without overlap, said bottom quarters of the sections being coplanar and having their convergent side edges in contiguous edge to edge abutment, means provided at said convergent side edges of the bottom quarters for maintaining the same in coplanar relation, and means provided adjacent the contiguous side edges of the marginal wall quarters for separably securing said sections together, said last mentioned means comprising inwardly projecting lugs provided on the side edge portions of said marginal wall quarters, the lugs of each quarter overlapping the lugs 0f the adjacent quarters in a direction depthwise of the box, the overlapped lugs being provided with coaxial apertures having their axes coplanar with the side edges of the sections, and removable keeper pins positioned in the coaxial apertures of the overlapped lugs.

7. A sectional electrical outlet box having a marm'nal Wall and a bottom, said box comprising four complemental selectively usable sections each including a marginal wall quarter and a bottom quarter, the marginal wall quarters having contiguous side edges in edge to edge abutment without overlap, the bottom quarters of said sections being coplanar and having contiguous side edges in edge to edge abutment, means provided at the contiguous side edges of said bottom quarters for maintaining the same in coplanar relation comprising laterally projecting detents provided at the edges of each bottom quarter, said contiguous side edges being formed with complementary recesses receiving said projecting detents of the adjacent bottom quarters, each recess and detent being thinner than the bottom quarters and being disposed Within the thickness of the latter, and means provided adjacent the contiguous side edges of said marginal wall quarters for separably securing said sections together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 938,373 Eden Oct. 26, 1909 963,802 Neuberth July 12, 1910 977,643 Manquais Dec. 6, 1910 990,161 Paiste Apr. 18, 1911 1,016,259 Frey Feb. 6, 1912 1,133,072 Vanstrom Mar. 23, 1915 1,238,186 Paroly Aug. 28, 1917 1,293,549 Reid Feb. 4, 1919' 2,432,122 Pardee Dec. 9, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 141,641 Great Britain Apr. 22, 1920 

